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"UNITED ST/TE8 OF AMERICA. 



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DICTIONARY 



OR 



GLOSSIR! OF R 




iJ 



TERMS AND SLANG. 



Also, a brief description of the Diseases- 
and Blemishes to ^A^hieh Race- 
horses are most liable, by 



S 



s • 



'^v- 



J. S. Cattanach, V. S. 



REPRINTED FROM 



"KRIK'S GUIDE TO THE TURF, 



/■ 



L^o3.S~ 



H 



Compiled and Published by 

G. '^CRICKMORE, 

With "The World," 35 Park Row, 
NEW YORK. 

' b c J 



I^ 



.^'\ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by 
H. O. CRICKMORE, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



N Ew York : 
PRESS OF ROGERS & SHERWOOD, 

21 AND 23 Barclay St. 



Dictionary or Glossary, 



RACING TERMS AND SLAKG. 

[COMPILED EXPBESSLT FOR " ERIK'S GUIDE TO THE TURF."] 

"Added to tlie List. "—A euphuism used by sportmg 
writers implying tJiat a horse has been gelded. The expression 
is a contraction of " added to the list of geldings." 

Aged. — An "aged" horse is one over six years old, though 
for practical purposes horses "six and aged" are usually 
classed together. Age is almost invariably reckoned from the 
1st of January in the year in which the horse is foaled, although 
some clubs, notably the Savannah and South Carolina Jockey 
Clubs, yet date from the 1st of May. , 

Allovi'ances. — Certain reductions in weight below the 
fixed standard, as "maiden allowances" to non- winners, "sell- 
ing allowances " to horses entered for selling races to be sold at 
prices less than the maximum named in the conditions 'al- 
lowances for sex" to mares and geldings, etc There may be 
special allowances, as for horses not maidens, but not winners 
of important or valuable races, or for hor es bred in a certain 
district, or of inferior breeding, or for gentlemen riders in races 
open also to jockeys. There are naturally no allowances in a 
handicap. 

*' All to p'eces."— Utterly, excessively, "he beat him all 
to pieces " — surpassed him exceedingly. " Gone all to pieces " 
is much in use as expressing want of form, or decadence. 

Bark. — To support by money a favorable opinion of a 
horse's chances for a race or place. 

Back-Knd. — That portion of the year's racing which takes 
place during October and November. 

Backer — The supporter by money of the chances of any 
horse as distinguished from the bookmaker who lays against 
them. 

Balk.— A balky horse is one that through stubbornness re- 
fuses to go. In hurdle-racing or steeplechasing "balk" is 
used synonymously with "refuse," though properly a horse is 
" balked" at a leap by outside interference only. 



Dictionary or Glossary. 



" Bar."— "Except "—thus, in tlie betting-ring the offer " 2 
to 1 bar one " indicates willingness to lay 2 to 1 against any 
Ijorse in the field except one. 

Barney.— An unfair race of any kind ; a " sell " or " cross." 

Beat. — "Dead beat;" wholly worn out ; "done up." 

Best.— To get the better of a man in any way — not neces- 
sarily to cheat. "Bested."— Taljen in or defrauded, in reality 
worsted. (A low betting cheat or a fraudulent bookmakeir is 
sometimes called a bester.) 

Betting Round.— Laying fairly and equally against 
nearly all the horses in a race so that no great risk can be run. 

Biennial.— A race run in two successive years, the horses 
being entered to compete (usually at two and three years) at 
the same place, but over courses of different lengths. 

Bolt.— A horse "bolts " when he swerves out of the regular 
course or turns away from a leap through temper or fatigue. 

Book. — An arrangement of bets against the horses in any 
race. The principle of making a book or " betting round," is to 
lay a previously determined sum against every horse in the 
race, or as many horses as possible; and should the bookmaker 
" get round" — i. e , succeed in laying against as many horses 
as will more than balance the odds laid — he is certain to be a 
winner. The bookmaker is distinguished from the backer by 
its being his particular business to bet against horses, or to lay. 
While the backer stands by the chance of a horse, or the 
chances of a set of horses about which he supposes himself to 
be possessed of special information . A bookmaker rarely backs 
horses for his own particular fancy. He m' y put a trifle on an 
animal about which he has been told something, but as a rule 
if a bookmaker takes a special fancy to a certain horse, he lets 
him "run for the book " — i. e., does not lay against him. When 
a bookmaker backs a horse in the course of his regular busi- 
ness, it is because he has laid too much against him and finds 
it convenient to share the risk with other bookmakers. 

Bore.— To swerve in upon a competing horse so as, by hin- 
dering his jockey from using his whip, or threatening to crowd 
him against the rails, to impede him . 

Bottom.— Stamina— able to endure a great strain. When a 
horse is spoken of as having " plenty of bottom," it means that 
he can run long and repeating races without being distressed, 
although he may lack great speed, and fail over short courses. 
Break A-way.- A horse breaks away when in a false start 
he gets beyond the control of rider and starter. He is also said 
to break away when he instantly assumes a commanding 
lead at a great pace, whether intentionally or against his rider's 
Will. 

Breezing. — A figurative expression for giving a horse fast 
work without actually extending him as in a race. Some say 
that " breezing " is a mispronunciation of breathing. A breath- 
ing pace is mentioned by Darvill. 

Bullfincli.— A large thick hedge, difficult alike to jump o^' 
burst through. They are very rare in the United States. 



Bacing Terms and Slang. 



Bttttgle.— To take a leap clumsily. 

Burster. — To get a faU so severe as to lose all chances in 

tlie race. 

Carom. — "Cannon." A horse caroms on another when 
during a race he jostles against him with such force as to knock 
him out of his stride and interfere with his chance of winning. 
When such an accident happens, the rider ol the horse to blame 
is sometimes charged with " foul riding," but as often as not no 
charges are made, especially by jockeys that are at all intimate 
with each other, unless the accident caused the loss of the race 
and the winner benefited by it. 

Cast Off.— "Cast out"— ahorse of supposed inferior quality 
sold from a large stud or stable . 

Catcli-Iiet.— A bet made for the purpose of entrapping the 
unwary. 

Catcli-Weiglit,— A weight left to the option of the owner 
of a horse, who naturally puts up the lightest weight possible. 

Century. — A hundred dollar bill. 

Challenge.— To dispute the lead with determination at a 
critical stage of a race. It is not a challenge when the leader 
resigns without an effort, or when the second horse goes up to 
the leader to " feel" him and then drops back to second place 
satisfied of his superiority. 

Cleric of the Course.— The official who weighs the 
jockeys before and after the race, looks after the hoisting of the 
numbers of the starters, sees that the numbers of the first, 
second, and third horses are displayed Immediately after its 
conclusion, records the time of the race, collects the entrance 
money, and in fact does all the hard work requisite for a suc- 
cessful race meeting. 

Clsjver. — ^In happiness, luck, a delightful position. Among 
betting men, he who arranged his wagers so satisfactorily be- 
fore an event that he cannot possibly lose and may win a good 
deal, is said to be 'in clover;" a phrase which is sometimes 
varied by the phrase " he stands on velvet." 

Cosla".— To challenge successfully a leading horse — i. e., to 
get on even terms with him. 

Colors.— The jacket and cap of a jockey are known as his 
owner's colors. The rule says : " All riders must be dressed in 
jockey costume— cap and jacket of silk or satin, breeches of 
white cords, flannel or buckskin, and top-boots." 

Co it. —A male horse is called a colt until he has passed 
through his fourth year. Some writers, however, call a four- 
year-old a "horse." 

Combinations. — Bets involving the results of two or 
more races. 

Come- —To make a decided effort, displaying marked speed. 
"To come again " is to renew the effort after an apparent fail- 
ure. To come through— to work a passage through the field in 
order to challenge the leaders, or to rapidly pass inferior animals 



Dictionary or Glossary. 



hitherto running in front, though in the latter case to "run 
through his horses " is in better taste. " To come too soon " 
or " To come too late " indicates lack of judgment by the rider. 
If " too soon " the chance of winning was lost by the horse 
tiring before reaching the winning post. If "too late" there 
was not sufficient distance to be run in which to develop the 
superior strength or speed of the horse as against some other 
horse or horses in the race that were ridden with better judg- 
ment. It is certainly a fine point, and requires that a jockey 
shall not only be a keen judge of pace, but that he shall know 
not only what his own, but what every horse in the same 
race can do. 

Compound. — To give way when challenged; to collapse; 
to fail. 

Confederacy. — Several gentlemen associated in the owner- 
ship of a stable are sometimes called a " confederacy," as in 
the case of the McDaniel confederacy. 

Consolation (or Beatenl Race.— A race arranged for 
non-winners at a meeting, usually the last upon the pro- 
gramme, and run at handicap weights, or with liberal allow- 
ances for repeated defeats. 

Covent»-y. — " To send a man to Coventry" — not to speak 
or to notice him. By no means confined to racing, but familiar 
in all literature. 

Craclc.— " Cracks." A favorite horse, or the supposed cham- 
pion of a stable, or a horse of high quality. " To crack " in a 
race is for a horse to give way and fall behind when challenged. 

Cropper.— A heavy fall. "To come a cropper " is to fall 
badly. 

Cros«.— A deception. A cross is an arrangement made be- 
tween two men that the horse of one shall wjn or lose without 
reference to merits. The term "' to cross " is also used when 
one horse crosses in front of another in a race without having 
gained the sufficient lead prescribed in the rules, socompilling 
the horse crossed to shorten its stride. [See Eule 50 A. J. C. 
English Racing Rule, No. 33, requires " two clear lengths." 

'Cross-Country.— Steeplechases are often si^oken of as 
'cross-country events. 

(^up Hors«». — A horse of sufficient speed and stoutness to 
compete for cups or important prizes run at weight for age 
over long courses. There are handicap " cups " but, properly, 
winning a cup implies championship obtained on merit, not 
through accommodation of weights, so as to favor the chances 
of inferior animals. Nearly all the " cup " races in t'le United 
States are weight-for-age events, % e., without penalties, or 
allowances, or both, such as the Louisville Cup, or Westchester 
Cup. In England it is nearly the reverse; tor instance, starters 
for the Goodwood, Brighton, and Doncaster Cups have, if win- 
ners of great races, to carry penalties, while non-winners take 
the benefit of certain allowances, the mos" important weight- 
for-age Cup being the Gold Cup, at Ascot. 



Racing Terms and Slang. 



Cwt Dn^wn.— To strike into thele^sof a competing horse 
so as to injure him. Also to take the lead decisively from an 
inferior animal that has previously been indulged with it. 

Cut Lioose or " Come away From." — To leave be- 
hind a defeated horse, or a field of inferior horses. 

Daisy Cutter. — A horse that trots or gaUops without lift- 
ing its feet much from the ground. 

Dark.— A " dark horse " is ahorse of whom nothing positive 
is known, but who is generally supposed to have claims to the 
consideration cf all interested, whether bookmakers or backers. 

Dasli.— A race decided at the first essay, and not run in 

heats. 

Dead Amiss. — A horse is said to be " dead amiss " that 
from illness is utterly unable to run. 

Dead Beat. — Utterly exhausted. 

Dead Heat. — ^When two horses reach the winning post so 
exactly equal that the judge cannot place one before another, 
it is called a dead heat, because it is a heat which counts for 
nothing so far as the even runners are concerned, as it has to 
be run over again. When a race between the dead heaters has 
been unusually severe, or when the stake is a large one, the 
owners sometimes agree to divide the money. In such cases 
all bets and pools are divided in the same proportion as the 
stakes are divided. When the dead heat is run off, the second 
essay is called the deciding heat, though on some occasions 
even the decider has resulted in a dead heat. 

Dead 'T^n — A horse which will not run, or is not meant, 
or has no chance for the race, and against which money may be 
betted with safety. 

Declared Off. — When bets are declared void by the judges 
by reason of iraudulent practices, or otherwise, they are said 
to have been " declared off." 

Declare Out O*". — To withdraw from a race at an early 
date, thus securing the advantage of immunity from forfeit, or 
a minimum forfeit. 

Declare *o Win. — To publicly announce the intention of 
winning with a particular horse of several engaged in the same 
race. Through preference for the horse, or to avoid incurring 
a penalty for its stable compair on, or because it suits his book, 
an owner may elect to win with an inferior animal. Where the 
bettin'yr is on or against the entries of any owner and not on or 
against th^ individual horses a declaration is not necessary, and 
even in England it is commonly regarded as an annoying- super- 
fluity, for (as in the Duke of Hamilton's case at G-oodwood in 
1878) a much inferior and unnoticed horse may just before the 
start be " declared " and his better and freely backed stable 
companion be pulled up to let him in, or an unscrupulous 
owner, to deceive the simple, may declare to win with one 
horse while " meaning " another. 



Dictionary or Glossary. 



Distance.— In heat races a point wMch defeated horses 
must have passed at the moment the winner of the heat reaches 
the winning post in order to qualify themselves for starting in 
the succeeding heat. The object is to compel all the horses to 
do their best. Were it not for such a rule some one or more of 
the contestants would "lay up the heat" and then in the 
second heat be comparatively fresh and better able to beat the 
horse who had run its best in the first heat. Even as it is, it is 
not uncommon for a horse to be kept so well in han 1 that '* it 
just saves its distance " and is thus in a better condition to run 
in the second or subsequent heats, although it is not customary 
to distance a horse in a deciding heat, after two heats shall 
have been run, in a race best two heats in three or best three 
heats in five. The distance in races of mile heats is usually 40 
yards; for two-mile heats, 50 yards; for three-mile heats, 60 
yards, and four-mile heats, 80 yards. Some clubs, however, 
make the distance some ten or more yards longer. In England 
a distance is 240 yards, but the term, owing to the fact that 
heat races are no longer run, is nearly obsolete. In France, 
where the rules still recognize them, although they are rarely 
run, a distance is 100 metres (108 H yds-), whatever aaay be the 
length of the race. 

Distance Judges. — In races of heats one or more judges 
occupy a stand at the distance post. When the first horse 
reaches the winning post one of the judges there drops a flag, 
which action is immediately followed by the distance judge, 
who notes what horses have not reached that point. If any 
have so failed they are reported as " distaiced " and cannot 
again start in the race. It is sometimes said that such and such 
a horse was " shut out," or was " outside the flag,," or "caught 
the flag," or "failed to save its distance," or " had the flag fall 
in its face," all of which mean that it was distanced. 

Distance, Out of His.— A horse lying out of his distance 
during the running of a race is one that — commonly through 
his rider's fault — is so far behind that he cannot hope to close 
the gap at the finish. 

Dollars to Centx. — Long odds in favor of or against any- 
thing under notice. " A guinea to a goose," or " All Lombard 
street to a China orange," are often used in England to express 
the same meaning. 

Double Cross.— A cross in which a man who has engaged 
to lose breaks his engagement and " go;s straight " at the last 
moment. This proceeding is called " doubling " or " putting " 
the double on. [See Cross.] 

Double Event.— To bet on a double event is to ■vy.ager 
about two different races which must both be won by the horse 
(or horses) indicated for the wagerer to win his stake. Under 
betting rules, both in the United States and England all such 
bets are " play or pay." "But if the first event terminates in a 
dead heat, and the stakes or purse are equally divided, or if a 
match be off on equal terms, the bet is off, and the contract is 
at an end, without reference to the future events, which were 
contingent." — Admiral Rous on the Laws and Practice of Horse- 
Racing. 



Macing Terms and 



Draft.— A lot of— usually — inferior animals selected from a 
stud or stable for sale. 

Dra-wn. — In training parlance a horse is said to have been 
" drawn" that has emptied itself after feeding the night before 
the race. But a limited amount of food being allowed on the 
morning of a race. 

Drop. — To "drop " mocey on a race is to lose on it. 

DalTer. — A term applied both to men and horses that are 
not at all reliable. 

Eat His Head Off. — A horse that is kept idle in the 
stable is said to " eat his head off." 

Knd to End.— A race run from end to end is one resol- 
utely contested from start to finish— to /orce the running from 
start to finish. 

Engagements. — A horse entered for a number of stake 
races is said to be well " engaged." When a horse is sold " with 
his engagements " the buyer takes the responsibility of keep- 
ing them, or paying the forfeits incurred. "When a good horse 
is well engaged his value is materially increased, the supposi- 
tion being that he can win some of his " engagements," as in 
the case of the three-year-old Ferncliffe, sold for $4,800. 

Entrance Money.— The amount paid by owners of horses 
to run in purse races, which at Jerome Park and elsewhere in 
the East is 5 per cent, of the value of the purse, the total 
amount of which goes to the owner of the se ond horse. 

False Start.— An attempt to begin a race considered by 
the starter unfair to some of the horses. 

Favorite. — The horse that has the lowest odds laid against 
it in the betting-list or that sells for the highest choice in the 
pools. When the favorite wins, the public or backers of horses 
are generally the gainers. When an outsider wins, the book- 
makers are the gainers. 

Feather^weiglit.- The lightest fixed weight known in the 
regular schedule of weights is 75 pounds. In old handicaps 
and some modern matches the note "a feather," will be found 
against a horse meaning that he was thought so inferior that 
the owner might place on him the lightest jockey he could find, 
like Ked Deer's 56-pound jockey at Chester in 1844. A race 
where all could carry "feathers" would be a race at " catch- 
weights." 

Field.— The whole of the starters in a race. In betting, the 
mass of the horses as opposed to the favorites. " The field for 
a pony " means that the offerer will lay $25 against the favor- 
ite, preferring the chances of a winner turning up among the 
others. " Ten to one on the field " means that the price named 
can be obtained about any horse in the race, that being the low- 
est figure on the favorite's price. Laying against favorites is 
caUed " fielding," and bookmakers are often known as fielders. 
In the United States the ground enclosed by the track is called 
the field. 

Filly.— A horse of the female sex is known as a filly until 



8 Bioiionary or Glossary. 

she has passed through, her fourth year, though some writers 
use mare for a female four year-old. 

Finisli.— The conclusion of a race — in reality that part 
where two or more horses make their final struggle for victory 

First or Second. — The winner of a race and the horse de- 
clared to be immediately behind the winner. Much of the 
" place betting " in the United States is that a horse will be 
first or second. 

Fixed. — A horse is said to have been fixed when he has by 
any means been put in such a condition that he cannot win — 
being poisoned, or lamed, or given a pail of water before 
running. 

Fluke. — A race is said to have been " won by a fluke " when 
the result is purely accidental. 

FolloAving. — Wagering upon the representatives of a fan- 
cied stable or the mounts of a favorite jockey without partic- 
ular regard to the betting market. 

Forestalled.— An owner whose horse has been backed 
by the public before the owner has bet his money is said to be 
" forestalled." 

Forfeit. — A portion of a horse's entrance stake in a match 
or race, by paying which, possibly under certain conditions as 
to time, his owner, not desiring to start him, is released from 
responsibility for the larger sum. The iorfeit is generally 
about one half of the stake. In great handicaps it is customary 
to have two forfeits, a small one tor horses "declared out " soon 
after the publication of the weights, and a larger one for horses 
left in but not brought to the post. A race where no forfeit is 
provided for is called a play or pay race — abbreviated p. p. 

Form. — " In good form" or "in bad form" refers tea 
horse's condition of health and fitness for a race or series of 
races in which he may be about to take part. 

Foul Riding.— Riding contrary to the rules of fair play, 
such as refusing to let a competitor pass, boring him against the 
rails, crossing him without having gained a sufficient lead, etc. 
Some jockeys are great adepts at this work and are invaluable 
to a confederacy as a means not so much of attaining vic- 
tory themselves as of preventing its attainment by others. 
When pioof is given that such riding was accidental, it is 
not allowable to punish the jockey, unless manifestly care- 
less, though if the race was won by such means it is obli- 
gatory to disqualify the horse and declare the second 
the winner. But if the foul was intentional, judges usually 
suspend or rule the jockey off the course for a certain 
period. "Pulling a horse " so as to prevent his winning is also 
called foul riding, and is an offence punishable on investigation 
and proof by expulsion of the guilty persons from the track for 
life (or until the association on whose track the foul took place 
sees fit to reinstate them); and which punishment is invariably 
sustained by all other regularly organized associations. 

Free Handicap.- A free handicap is a handicap race in 
which an owner may enter his horses Avithout being bound to 



Macing lerms and Slang. 



pay any forfeit if lie dpes not like the weight assigned by the 
handicapper. If he accepts, or does not declare out he then 
pays the amount of the fixed entrance or the usual percentage 
upon the purse, there being no other expense attached. 

Fall Against — The term originated with the book- 
makers, who, when they have laid all the money they wish to 
against a certain horse, put a mark against his name and 
reply to all inquiries, " Full against " him. 

Gate Race.— A race where the horses simply contend for 
a share of the money taken at the gate. 

Gelding— A horse of any age that has been castrated. 

Gentleman Rider — fAs opposed to "jockey ") A rider 
who gives his services without pecuniary reward, riding for 
spoit andnotforpay, ^ 

" Go for the Gloves."-To lay against a horse on the 
chances ofits losing without having the wherewithal to pay if 
It wins. Probably from the custom of ladies who bet gloves 
and expect " to stand them to nothing "—i. e., to be paid if thev 
win, and not pay if they lose. ^ 

Gone Off.— Mares and fillies are said to have " gone off " 
when certain sexual conditions prevent them from running 
up to the form they otherwise could. 

Got At.— See "fixed." 

Hack.-I^'operly a horse full-blooded or half-bred that is 
kept and used tor a gentleman's riding horse, and not speciaUy 
intended and prepared for racing. ^ 

Half- Bred — No term in use on the turf has, prob- 
ably, such an elastic construction as half-bred The prog- 
eny of a thoroughbred sire out of a common mare or 
by a cold-blooded stallion out of a thoroughbred mare 
are strictly speaking, half-bred. But the term is also 
applied to the progeny of horses having the slightest 
blemish m the pedigrees of their ancestors, under which 
ruling two-thirds of American so-caUed thoroughbreds should 
have the contemptuous "(h. b )" attached to their names. (See 
S. D. Bruce s ruling in the "American Stud Book," under head- 
ing "thoroughbred.") Stonehenge says: "The halt-bred 
steeplechaser (so-called) is sometimes, to all intents and pur- 
poses, thoroughbred; that is, as far as regards the work he will 
do, and the general treatment he requires. Many horses and 
mares which are not in the Stud Book, from some slight defect 
m their pedigrees extending back several generations, are really 
capable of doing as much as a thoroughbred Thus for in- 
stance, supposing a mare, seven-eighths bred, in the year 1835 
were put to a thoroughbred horse, and her daughter grand- 
daughter, and great grand dauf?hter were successively bred from 
thoroughbred horses as has often happened, the resulting pro- 
duce would be still half-bred, in the language of the turf, al- 
1 w.°"i^oo 1^ J^^*y te would only be stained in the proportion of 
1 to 128. It IS said that these half-breds are inferior, because no 
animal so bred has ever won a great race oyer the flat; but it 
must be remembered that these mares are very seldom put to 



ID Dictionary or Glossary. 



first-class stallions in succession, although now and then one 
may be indulged with an expensive leap. Now if thoroughbred 
mares are treated in the same way, they will very seldom breed 
a firet-class racehorse, and consequently the argument is at 
once upset from a want of parallel data in the two cases." The 
nearest recorded success on the flat of such a halt-bred was the 
running of Mr. Godwin's Hotspur, by Sir Hercules out of Dex- 
terous' dam (h. b ), second to the Flying Dutchman for the 
Derby, in 184=9; while in steeplechases both The Lamb and The 
Colonel were winners of the Liverpool Grand National in 1868, 
1869, 1870, and 1871, their dams both being half-bred. In France 
the rule on the subject is just as explicit, but as the breeding of 
half-breds is encouraged, it is protective in character. The 
rules of the Steeplechase Society, and of the Society for the En- 
couragement of the Half Blooded-Horse, say: "In order that a 
horse may be quahfied as half-blood, he must not only not be 
of pure blood, but must even prove that one of his sires, male 
or female, was really half-blood." 

Handicapper.— An official whose duties are to assign the 
weights for all horses entered in handicaps. It is customary in 
the United States to keep the name of the handicapper cr the 
names of the handicapping committee a secret. Thus at Sara- 
atoga the handicapper is said to be " a man from Ballston," a 
term used by the late John Morrissey, when asked who made 
the handicaps at Saratoga. In England the reverse is the rule, 
the name of the handicapper being advertised in the Racing 
Calendar with other officials. 

Handicap ^Kace. — A race in which the weights are 
arranged according to the merits and performances of the 
horses entered, instead of accordiDg to their ages, the object 
'being to give all the animals an equal chance. It might be 
added, that authorities vary as to the effect of weight. There 
is an English tradition that Admiral Eous considered 7 lbs. 
equal to a distance— certainly not 240 yards. Not even when 
168 lbs. was carried in races of four-mile heats would an addition 
of 7 lbs. make that difference. In England it is customary to 
limit handicaps by prescribing top and bottom weights— the 
top weight not being less than 124 lbs., and if the highest 
weight accepting be less than 124 lbs., it is raised to that 
weight, all others accepting being increased in proportion. 
The term " handicap," " hand i' the cap," comes from an old 
game, "challenging each other's effects," at one time much in 
vogue in Ireland, but now nearly obsolete, an illustration of 
which will be found in the fourth chapter of Levers " Charles 
O'Malley." 

Hand.— A hand is four inches, so that a horse standing 16 
hands is 5 feet 4 inches high. 

Hands Do-wn.— To win "hands down " is to win without 
any assistance from rider or jockey. 

Hang.— See "bore." 

Heat Race.— A race (as opposed to "dash ") where the 
prize is not awarded till the winner has conclusively established 
his superiority by defeating the other competitors twice in 



Bacing Terms and Slang. ll 



races best two out of three, or thrice in races best three in five, 
or by distancing them, an interval of prescribed duration being 
allowed between the several "heats." Should the winner in 
any heat distance all the competitors the race is at an end. 
Some years ago it was the custom to " rule out " of the race at 
the conclusion of the third or fifth heat (according as the race 
was best two heats in three, or best three heats in five) all 
horses that had not won or made a dead heat for a heat, but of 
late years the custom has been to "rule out" or " send to the 
stable " non-winners at the end of the second or third heats, as 
the case may be. A heat race where the winner of the first 
heat is unable to start for the second heat, or is distanced for 
that heat, goes to the winner of the second heat. The interval 
betweenthe heats is generally twenty minutes in mile heats, 
twenty-five in two-mile heats, thirty-five in three-mile heats 
and forty in four-mile heats. It is not considered irregular for 
a rider, having won one heat and being doubtful of his ability 
to win the second, to "lay up " for the deciding struggle, saving 
his distance and keeping his horse as fresh as possible to meet 
the more recently exhausted rival. No owner is allowed to 
start more than one horse for a heat race. 

Hedge. — To secure one's self from loss over one bet by 
making others ; to minimize the chances of loss where odds 
have been laid against a horse that proves more formidable than 
he was first thought to be. In other words, many persons con- 
sider that a bet is not good until it is safely hedged. 

Homestretcli.— That part of a course lying between the 
end of the last curve and the winning post. 

Hippodrome. — A race the result of which has been pre- 
viously arranged. When horses are traveling from place to 
place and running against each other accordin? to such ar- 
rangement, it is said that their managers are " hippodroming." 

Hull Dovt^n. — ^Left so far behind as to be without a chance 
of winning. 

Hurdle.— An artificial fence or barrier to be leapt over 
in a hurdle-race or steeplechase. In hurdle-races there are 
usually four hurdles in each mile, the height being from three 
and a half to four feet. 

In-and-Out Rwnixing.— Bunning displaying widely 
varying form, or indicating dishonest manipulation; or where 
a number of horses are concerned leaving it impossible to 
decide which is the best. 

In-aiid-owt Rmining.— Bunning displaying widely 
varying form, or indicating dishonest manipulation; or where 
a number of horses are concerned, leaving it impossible to de- 
cide which is the best. 

Indulge witli tUe Lead.— To allow a horse, inferior in 
speed, to retain the lead on sufferance. 

Inside Stake.— A practically obsolete arrangement, un- 
der which, in a sweepstakes or purse race, such of the sub- 
scribers as choose to do so make up a second sweepstakes, to be 
decided by the running for the main event. Thus, in a race for 



12 Dictionary or Glossary. 

which A, B, C, D, E, and F ran, if A, B, C, and D entered for the 
"inside stake," and E won the race, with A second, A would 
take the inside stake. 

Imp«st.— The weight placed on a horse. Used especially 
when speaking of handicaps. 

Jockey. — ^A professional rider of race-horses. It is a hard 
and laborious life, especially for those who have reached that 
age, when, to keep themselves light enough to ride, they have 
to deny themselves food, or, at the best, esist for days on a few 
ounces of bread; while to get in a fair riding condition, they 
have to "sweat " and do nearly as much work as the average 
pedestrian. The remuneration is usually very good, especially 
for riders of ability like Hughes, Donohue, or McLaughlin, or 
for steeplechase riders like Meany or Henry, who are specially 
engaged to ride for certain stables. The usual terms, however, 
for mounts, independent of regular engagements, are $25 for a 
winning mount, and $10 for a non-winning mount. 

Judge— Judges. — In England the official who decides 
and declares the winner of a race, the general duties of super- 
vision, management, and adjudication upon disputes being dis- 
charged by the stewards. In America, however, the judges are 
a certain number of designated members of the association who 
unite in themselves the functions of judge and stewards. 

Kilter. — A horse is said to be " out of kilter," when not in 
condition. Sometimes spelt " kelter." 

K.nock Out.— In racing parlance, to drive out of the quo- 
tations. 

. Lay. — ^In wagering, to bet against a man or animal. Bet- 
tors are divided, in racing slang, into layers and takers ; they 
are otherwise known as bookmakers and backers (which see). 

liead-Pad.— It is customary when a jockey is lighter than 
the weight his horse has to carry, for him to make up that 
weight with a pad, made so that the weight shall be evenly 
divided on both sides of the horse, over which the saddle can 
be placed with safety and convenience to horse and rider. 

Leg or Blackleg.— A disreputable sporting character and 
race-course habitue. 

l<e\^aiit — Levanted. — An expression used when abettor, 
who has been unable to meet his obligations, suddenly changes 
his re idence. He is then said to have "levanted," or to be a 
"levanter." The term is decidedly English, and arose from 
the fact that some years ago very many of those who were in 
difficulties left that country for the Levant. 

liOose-Box. — A stall in which a horse is not tied up, but 
remains loose. What is geneially called in this country a box 
stall. 

liose.— To leave far behind in a race. 

Maiden. — Ahorse that has never won a race. "A beaten 
maiden " is a horse that has never won after one or more 
starts. " Maidens," in many races, receive allowances of 
weig ht according to age. 



Baclng lerms and Slang. 13 



Make Sure — To take precautions against the possibility 
of a horse winning, by disabling him or arranging with those 
controlling him. 

Marketeer.— In England a betting man who devotes him- 
self, by means of special information, to the study of favorites. 
The " Marketeer " is often the principal agent in all "milk- 
ing " and " knocking out " arrangements. 

Market Horse.— A horse kept in the betting list, simply 
for the purpose of being betted against. 

Meant.— A horse is said to be " meant " when it is intended 
by those controlling him that he shall win the race if possible. 
When "not meant " he is started without any intention of 
winning or striving to win, but merely to secure the money 
that may have been betted on him by the simple, or to make a 
bad record and to obtain a light impost in handicaps, or to 
give his party a chance to back him on advantageous terms for 
another race. 

Metallician.— In England, a racing bookmaker. A term 
coined when metallic books and.pencils were much used. 

Milk.— When a horse is entered in a race for which his 
owner does not intend him to run, or, at all events, in which 
he does not intend him to win, and bets against him, the ani- 
mal is said to be " milked." "Milking " is keeping a horse a 
favorite, at short odds, for a race in which he has no chance 
whatever, or in which he will not be allowed to try, for the 
purpose of laying against him. 

Missed.— A mare that, having been served by a stallion fails 
to prove with foal. 

Monkey.— A monkey is £500 in England and $500 in the 
United States. 

Mownt.— When a jockey has been engaged to ride in a cer- 
tain race he is said "to have a mount "—^.^., Evans has a 
"mount" in the Belmont, or Barbee wants a "mount" 
for the Cup. According to the quality of the horse, the 
«' mount" may be a good one or a bad one. 

Moral. -A forthcoming result which appears certain — 
originally, "moral certainty." These "morals" are often, 
however, anything but moral certainties. 

Mntiials.— The name applied to the machines which were 
brought into use in the United States some years ago, and were 
called "Paris Mutuals," from the erroneous supposition that 
they came from Paris, whereas, in point of fact, their French 
name is Paris mutuels (Paris — a bet or wager).' They are so 
arranged as to register the number of tickets sold on each horse 
in a race, with a centre dial showing the total number of tick- 
ets sold on the race, from which the name " totalizators" is 
given to the same machines in Australia. where the use of them 
was recently made legal by an act of the South Australian 
Parliament. 

IVeck and Werk.— Hor.-ses are said to be running neck and 
neck when they are so perfectly equal in a race that one cannot 
be said to be before the other. 



14 Dictionary or Glossary, 

Negotiate— To take a leap successfully. 

Nobble.— .To "nobble " a borse is to "get at " and lame or 
poison bim. 

Nowliere.— Horses not placed in a race, or badly beaten, 
.are said to be "nowbere." 

Nainbe»-s.— Tbe figures opposite tbe borses' names on tbe 
race-cards issued for a day's racing, wbicb are prominently 
displayed before eacb race for tbe information of all concerned 
as to wbat borses are about to ran. After tbe race tbe num- 
bers of tbe first tbree borses are sbown, in tbe order in wbicb 
tbey flnisbed. At Saratoga, and on some otber courses, tbe 
number of tbe borse first past tbe post is sbown, but it does 
not announce tbat be is tbe winner, as tbat cannot be an- 
nounced till be bas returned to tbe judges' stand, or saddling 
paddock, and tbe rider's weigbt bas been found to be correct. 

Odds.— Tbe proportions or differences of a bet. One book- 
maker will lay odds of 6 to 1 against a borse winning, 
wbile anotber, more speculative, or in receipt of a first-rate 
" tip," will lay 8 or even 10 to 1 . 

Office. — To give tbe "office " is to secretly inform any one 
wbere a certain event will take place, or wben a certain trial 
will be run. 

On.—" To get on " a borse, is to back it. " I'm on," also ex- 
presses a person's acceptance of an offered bet. 

On the Post.— To win '«on tbe post," is to win on tbe last 
stride or so. 

On the Flat.— All races in wbicb no jumping is done, are 
said to be " on tbe flat," or " flat races." 

Out for an Airing. — A borse not "meant" (see Meant). 

Outsider.— A person wbo does not babitually bet, or is not 
admitted to tbe "ring." Also a borse wbose name does not 
appear among tbe ''favorites." 

Pace.— Tbe rate at wbicb a race is run, and wbicb it is a 
jockey's object to set so tbat tbe otber competitors sball be ex- 
bausted more tban bis own borse. Tbe two eminent qualities 
in a jockey are " fineness of bands," and " knowledge of pace ; " 
tbe former being tbe delicacy of manipulation wbicb acquaints 
bim constantly witb tbe condition of bis borse, and enables 
bim to repress, encourage, and direct tbe animal, and tbe lat- 
ter tbe instinct, quickened by experience, wbicb acquaints 
bi-n witb tbe probable effect xipon every borse in tbe race of 
tbe rate of speed at wbicb it is being run. 

On Velvet. — See Clover. 

Patrol Judges.— Officials usually assigned to positions 
on tbe course wbere tbe borses are out of tbe ken of tbe judges 
of tbe race. Tbe infrequency of tbe appointment of patrol 
judges is owing to tbe difficulty of getting competent men to 
serve. 



Racing Terms and Slang. 15 



Place. — A horse is said to get a place when it is either first, 
second, or third— i. e., placed first, second, or th^rd by the 
judges. For betting purposes, a "place" means being first, 
second, or third. In Engli-nd and France the judges sometimes 
place four, and in some instances the whole field. Under the 
rules of the American Jockey Club, the judges place as many 
horses as they think proper, except in heat races, when, to 
secure the proper starting positions in the next heat, all are 
placed. In dashes the custom is to place three. It has been 
suggested that in dashes, when the second and third are 
not within the aistance prescribed for a race of heats of the 
same length, they shall not be placed — e g., in a dash of a 
mile, if the second and third are not within forty yards no 
places shall be gi ^en them. A horse placed fourth would not 
win his backer's bets for a place without previous stipulations. 
In the United States bets are sometimes made about horses 
finishing in a race regardless of a place, which are called "buck 
bets," the decision of them being left to a third person. When a 
wagerer agrees to " place " the horses in a race he must place 
them exactly; for instance, if in a race of heats for which six 
run he places A 1, B 2, C 3, D 4, E 5, and F 6, and they come in 
in that order, but F is distanced, he loses. (O'Kelly's famous 
bet to place a large field, it will be remembered, was " Eclipse 
first— the rest nowhere.") 

Plates.— A plate in England is analogous to a purse in the 
United States. But in the United States, as well as in England, 
the shoes (very light), worn by horses in races are called 
"plates," and a blacksmith, an adept in the business, a 
"plater." 

Q,iiitter. — Ahorse that lacks courage, and gives up the 
race when challenged. (See Duffer.) 

Patclied Up,_A horse that has partially broken down, 
but is nursed carefully, and given a preparation for a single 
race, or a limited number of races, ere it tails again, and 
irreparably. 

Penalty.— An increase of weight prescribed for a horse 
that has won a certain race, or has been bred in a certain local- 
ity or country. 

Peacoclcy.'— An objectionably high and jerky action in, or 
carriage of, a race-horse. 

Persuaders. — Spurs. 

Plaier. — An animal of inferior quality, not good enough 
to win a great race, but able to pick up small purses, or plates, 
at minor meetings. 

Play or Pay (abbreviated P. P.). — A play-or-pay 
race is one where the subscriber whose horse does not appear 
to compete at the time prescribed, forfeits all his stake. As a 
rule all bets on horse-racing are considered play or pay, unless 
otherwise arranged. In all matches a run is given for the 
money in ordinary betting transactions. 

Pocket.— A horse is pocketed when, through a combina- 
tion of the riders of other animals, he is placed in a race be- 



16 Dictionary or Glossary. 



Mnd one horse and between two others, or one other and the 
fence, so that he cannot reach the front. 

Pools.— Betting in pools is a system thoroughly American, 
which was begun in New Orleans just before the war, and is 
said to have been originated by Mr. H. P. M'Grath. Of late, 
especially in New York, owing to adverse legislation, 
bookmaking in the English style has taken its place. 
The modus operandi is this : The names of the horses 
entered for a race are displayed. An auctioneer proceeds 
to sell to the highest bidder the choice of selecting one of 
the horses so named in the same manner as if he were 
selling a piece of real estate. When the bidding ceases he 
knocks the choice down, and one of the horses is at once named 
by the bidder. The second, third, and other choices are dis- 
posed of in the same way, their value naturally becoming less 
in each instance. The pool is then added up, and tickets show- 
ing the total amount of the pool the name of the buyer, the 
name of the horse selected, and the amount paid for it, are 
given to each buyer. After the race is run the purchaser or 
holder of the ticket representing the winning hor e takes the 
whole pool, less a certain percentage. For instance, suppose a 
race with six entries. A sells for $200, B for $180, C for $100. 
D for $80, and E and F as the field for $v5, making in all a pool 
of $580 ; the race is run and is won by D ; the holder of the 
ticket representing D takes the pool, less the percentage. 

Pony.— A pony is £25 in England, and $25 in the United 

States. 

Post.— The starting and finishing points are usually spoken 
of as the " starting " and " winning " posts. In nearly all the 
race-tracks in the United States there are also the quarter, 
half-mile, and three-quarter-mile posts, while on many of them 
thera are the three-furlong, five-furlong, and seven-furlong 
posts. 

Post-Stake or THatch.— One where the age only of the 
horse is indicated by the subscriber, who is at liberty to bring 
to the post any horse of that age, as his representative; or one 
where each subscriber nam^ two or more horses of the same 
age only one of which is to be started. Custom, however, has 
changed this rule, somewhat, so that owners now name the day 
before, but in no case is this compulsory. 

Pot A favorite in the betting for a race. Probably so-called 

because it is usual to say ihat a heavily-backed carries a " pot 
of money." When the favorite is beaten, the " pot " is said to 
be upset. 

Produce Stake.— A race for which the unborn progeny of 
marea in foal to certain named stallions run, only those so 
nominated being allowed to start. 

Pull.— To prevent a horse from winning, by holding M^a 
back. 

Punt.— To " punt," is to back horses for small stakes. 

Purler.— A heavy fall from a horse in a steeplechase. 



Bacing Terms and Slang. 17 

Parse.— The consideration, or money, offered by racing as- 
sociations for races, other than sweepstakes, is invariably called 
a purse, and is analogous with the tarm " plate " in England. 
The term, purse, no doubt, originated from the habit of associa- 
tions, some years ago, hanging up in front of the judges' stand 
gaudy-colored purses containing the money for which the 
horses were running. The money given by associations for 
sweepstakes, is called " added money." 

Pat on. — To promise money or valuables in the event of an 
anticipated success. "You are on for ten if Falsetto wins," 
for example, was frequently heard at Saratoga, in 1879. Many 
hangers-on of the turf live almost entirely by what they are "put 
on " by bookmakers and backers, for whom they do odd jobs. 

Ctaarter-stretcli.— That portion of the course or track 
in the immediate vicinity oi the judges' stand, which, owing 
to the advantage it affords those interested to inspect the horses 
about to run, or immediately after a race, is made the most 
exclusive and to which the highest price is paid tor admission. 
Q,ait.— To shrink from and abandon the struggle when 
resolutely challenged. 

Racing.— Racing as sport is divided into flat racing, hur- 
dle-racing and steepl 3-chasing. The first division of these is 
now practised in nearly all the civilized countries of the world. 
The second is also common enough, and is often mixed up 
with flat racing, but it belongs more to the division of steeple- 
chasing than to flat racing, as it requires the horse to be able 
and willing to jump over the obstacles placed in his way. 

Racing Q,ttalities.— A breeder not wishing to sell a 
finely-bred mare out and out, will often dispose of her 
" racing qualities " for a fixed period, sometimes until she is 
five years old, or until she breaks down, when she must be re- 
turned. The " racing qualities " of horses are sometimes dis- 
posed of in the same way. 

Rails.— The inner boundary of a course. 
Raker.— To " go a raker" is to put more money than usual 
on a certain horse. 

Keal Jam .—Anything exceptionally good. It is said to be 
•" real jam " for those who back a horse at a long price, when 
the animal wins or comes to a short figure. 
Refase.— To decline to take a leap. 

Ring. — The space on a race-course which is used for betting 
purposes. Betting men are sometimes called "gentlemen of 
the ring," especially if they are in the habit of attending race- 
meetings regularly. 

Roarer. — A bioken-winded horse. " Roaring," as applied 
to horses, is often termed " talking " or " whistling" by turf- 
men, while sporting writers frequently, when writing of a 
^broken- winded race horse, say, " he makes a noise," or " is a 
musician." 

Roping.— The pulling or restraining a horse by its rider 
to prevent its winning a race. 



18 Dictionary or Glossaru. 



Ruck. — The body or main division of runners in a race, as 
distinguished from the leaders and " whippers in." 

Ruled Out. — A horse is " ruled out " in a heat race that 
does not win a heat, or run a " dead heat " in the first twa 
heats of a race that is best two out of three, or in the first three 
heats of a race that is best three in five. A horse is also "ruled 
out " whose rider is short of weight, or who is disqualified 
from winning by the violation of any rule that affected the re- 
sult of the race, as by foul riding, &c. 

Run. for the Money. — An expression used when a start 
is given with a bet ; as, 20 to 1 against Bramble, with a " run " 
given. "To have a run for one's money" is also to have a 
good determined struggle for anything. 

Running— Making tlie. — Leading the field in a race 
rapidly in order to exhaust some of the horses so that they may 
be more easilv overcome by the stable companion of the horse 
" making the running," the rider of the stable companion be- 
ing aware of the manceuvre.and saving his mount for the finish 
of the race. 

Run Througli.— " To run through his horses " is to pass 
rapidly a number of competitors. 

Saddling Paddoclc.— An inclosure, generally contiguous 
to the scales, where all horses to run are saddled, and to which 
they must return after the race, and unsaddle to "weigh out." 

Safe One.— A horse which there is reason to believe will 
not start for, or will not be allowed to win, a race, and which, 
therefore, may be laid against with safety. 

Sales — (Avitli or witliout engagements) — When a 
horse is sold with his engagements, or any part of them, the 
seller has not the power of striking the horse out of the en- 
gagements with which he is sold, but as the original subscrib - 
er remains liable to the respective winners for the amount of 
the forfeits in each of these engagements, he may, if compelled 
to pay them by the purchaser's default, place the forfeit on the 
forfeit list by a written declaration, in the usual manner, as 
due from the purchaser to himself, and until this forfeit is re- 
paid both the purchaser and the horse remain iinder the same 
disability as if the former had been the original subscriber. 
In all cases of sale by private treaty, the written acknowledge- 
ment of both parties that the horse was sold with his engage- 
ments is necessary to entitle either buyer or seller to the ben- 
efit of this rule ; but when the horse is sold by public auction 
the advertised conditions of sale are suflScient evidence; and if 
he has been claimed as the winner of a race in which it was a 
condition that the winner was to sold with his engagements, 
this also is sufiacient. "When a horse is sold without his en- 
gagements, the seller may gant or refuse to the purchaser the 
privilege of starting for any of them, but if the purchaser 
should wish to start for any one stake, and does so, he general- 
ly has to assume the responsibility for all the future engage- 
ments which the horse may have. It is also held that a horse 
sold with his engagements is responsible for the stakes due for 
all other horses made by the original nominator in a race, and 



Racing Terms arid Slang. 19 



that the same must be paid before the horse can start. In 
England the subject has received considerable attention, and 
the late Lord Exeter framed special conditions which are still 
popular, many sales being advertised as " under Lord Exeter's 
conditions." In William Day's " The Eace-Horse in Training," 
recently published in London, the subject is thus commented 
upon: 

" When sold as yearlings, the rule is clearly defined and well 
understood, both by vendors and purchasers. A list ot engage- 
ments is given in the printed catalogue of the day, and these 
are taken over by the purchaser. If no engagements are speci- 
fied, it would be taken for granted the animals had none; and 
if it should turn out otherwise, the seller would not be able to 
compell the purchaser to take them over afterwards,if he refused 
to do so. But older horses are often sold with or without their 
engagements, and sometimes under what are termed Lord Ex- 
eter's conditions, which are not always well understood, though 
really so simple as to need little explanation ; the fact being 
that horses bought under such conditions, are virtually bought 
without their engagements— for the purchaser need neither 
run them, nor pay their forfeits. On the other hand, shoiild 
the buyer prefer running, no one can prevent him doing so, so 
long as the nominator is alive, and the new owner pays one- 
half the stake and gives the original vendor one-third of the 
results if the horse wins. These very excellent conditions 
were made by the late Lord Exeter, and no purchaser can wish 
to buy under better. But in selling horses in the ordinary way, 
with their engagements.one objectionable result is that it passes 
the right to scratch from his own to other hands. It may hap- 
pen that the minor forfeits, a mere bagatelle when duly de- 
clared, are neglected, and swell to a serious item, wtiich it is 
compulsory on the vendor to pay in default of the purchaser 
doing so; the remedy of the former being to place the latter's 
name on the forfeit list until he refunds the amount." 

Save.— To give part of one bet for part of another. A and 
B have backed different horses, and they agree that in the 
event of either winning he shall give the other, say $10. This 
is called "saving a tenner," and;.generally is done whenscratch- 
ings and knockings out have left the 'field, so that one of the 
two speculators must be a winner. Saving is, therefore, a form 
of hedging. 

Save a Horse.— In a heat race, having won one heat, to 
forego winning the next, if the issue is doubtful, so as to have 
a better chance ot securing the race. In any race, to avoid un- 
necessary exertion at a not critical stage, so as to.be better pre- 
pared for the final struggle. In managing a stable, to save a 
horse for any particular race, is to abandon previous minor 
engagements, or to allow him to be defeated unnecessarily, so as 
to deceive the handicapper and obtain a very favorable weight. 

Scales. — The point on a race-course where the clerk of the 
course can be found, and where all jockeys must be weighed 
before and after a race. 

Scratch. —To remove a horse's name from a list of sub- 
scriptions, or entries for a race. 



20 Dictionaay or Glossary. 



Scurvy. — A short and lively race, properly one for half-bred 
or inferior horses, as for non- winners, that will make an amus- 
ing contest of brief duration for a small stake. 

Second String.— A horse or horses regarded by owners or 
trainers as inferior to certain stable companions entered for 
the same race, but which will be depended upon to win should 
the supposed more able horse or horses go amiss, or prove less 
speedy than they were thought to be . 

Selling Race.— One lor which the horses are entered with 
a price indicated at which the owners will dispose of them, the 
weights being reduced if the price indicated is low. In other 
words, it is a species of handicap made by owners of horses 
themselv , s. The conditions of the race are usually announced 
as follows: " Horses entered to be sold for $1,500, to carry 
weight forage; if to be sold for $1,000, allowed 5 lbs.; if for 
$750. allowed 10 lbs,; if for $500, allowed 17 lbs., and if for $300, 
allowed 22 lbs." Thus, supposing that a four-year old colt had 
been entered to be sold for $300, he would only have to carry 
96 lbs. (22 lbs less than the full weight for age -118 lbs); pre- 
suming, further, that he won, and in the auction that followed 
the race was sold for $1,000 - $300 of that sum would go to the 
owner, and the remainder, if the race were run at Jerome Park, 
be divided between the owner of the second horse snd the asso- 
ciation. Of course there is nothing to prevent an owner buying 
his own horse, as is frequently done. When the winner is sold 
at aiiction, and the surplus is so divided, it is usual to insert 
among the conditions of the race, " Beaten horses not liable to 
be claimed. This is done to obviate the possible injustice to 
the owner of the second, who may lose his own horse by a 
■claim (see Kule 65, A. J. C), and at the same time be unable to 
secure the winner, as the owner of the winner, having 
Tjacked his horse, can well afford to bid much more than 
the real value of the animal. It is perhaps not generally 
understood that when this condition is not inserted, any 
liorse running in a selling race is liable to be claimed by 
tne owner of any other horse in the race for the price for 
which it is entered to be sold and the amount of the stake or 
purse, deducting therefrom (i. e., from the amount of stake or 
purse) any sum he may receive by the conditions of the race, 
such as money given for running second or third, or received 
from any overplus resulting from the sale of the winner. The 
owner of the second horse to be first entitled to claim, and the 
others in the order in which their horses are placed — owners of 
unplaced horses to draw lots for priority of claim, and the win- 
ner to have the last claim. But either through ignorance of 
the right to claim, or for other reasons, no horse in a selling 
race has been claimed in the United States, although it is com- 
mon enough in England. 

Originally, and by the rule of the American Jockey Club as 
it now reads, the whole of the surplus went to the second 
horse. Its owner could then purchase the winning horse, at 
the entered selling price, for any surplus came back to him, 
and owners were chary of entering superior horses at inferior 
prices, with the expectation of winning by bets enough to buy 
back their horses at their true value, if they won. Nor could 



Bacing Terms and Slang. 21 



tliere be collusion between two owners of superior horses, to 
evade tlie sale or claim of their horses by running first and 
second, for the surplus coming to the owner of the second 
horse, from the sale of the first, would probably equal the 
amount of the purse, and although he could buy in the win- 
ner, his own horse might be sacrificed at its entered price. But 
as the ri ht to claim has n.t proved to be a safeguard, and iu 
order that the racing fund may profit by the entry of horses at 
inadequate prices, it is now customary tJ adveriise, "Any sur- 
plus on the sale of the winner to be divided between the owner 
of the second horse and the racing fund Beaten horses not 
liable to be claimed." The consequence is tuat betting on 
selling races is generally heavy, and that frequently the share 
of the surplus going to the second horse, added to the second 
monej^, equals the prize to the winner In France a different 
system prevails : every horse entered in a se ling race can be 
claimed by the owners of the other horses, before the race, at 
the entered price, and the value ot the prize. Horses so claimed 
do not run. After the race the horses can be claimed by any 
person. Sealed proposals are opened fifteen minutes after the 
race, and the horses awarded to the highest bidders, of not less 
than the entered price for the winner, and the value of the prize 
added to the entered price for beaten horses. Sometimes, by the 
conditions of the race, the sale after the race is limited to the 
winner, but before the race there is no restriction of the right 
to claim. In France, the whole of the surplus goes to the 
racing fund. In England, one-half of the surplus goes to the 
second, and the other half to the racing fund, which ofcen 
realizes a large sum, 1,620 guineas being thus obtained at tLe 
Newmarket second October meeting in 1879, for instance. 

It is not unfrequent in conditions to provide that a horse 
may enter " not to be sold," in which case a penalty ot 7 to 10 
lbs. is imposed, but a horse entered not to be sold is not 
relieved from penalty for winning when the winners of selling 
races are exempted in the conditions of a race. 

Shut Out.— To distance, to be distanced. 

Sliut Up.— To collapse when challenged. 

Skill tlie La ml}.— When an outsider, that has not been 
backed, wins a race bookmakers are said to skin the lamb. 

Spread-Eagle.— To show great superiorly, leaving the 
other horses strung out at considerable intervals. 

Stable.— In racing parlance, not alone the establishment to 
which a horse belongs, but the intimates of the proprietor or 
trainer. 

Stall Off.— To shake off a challenge in a race and retain the 
advantage it was sought to nullify. 

Starter.— The ofBcial appointed to -'start "' the horses fur a 
race on equitable terms, in the South and West the signal is 
nearly always given by tapping a drum, in the East by crop- 
ping a flag. The starter posts himself at from ten to forty yards 
from the starting post, while his assistant takes his position 
some fifty or more yar.s beyond it. Presuming the horses to 



22 Dictionary '07- Glossary. 



be all in their proper positions and facing the right way and in 
gentle motion, the starter taps his drum or drops his flag. The 
assistant drops his flag at the same instant, and as the jockeys 
can sea him batter than the starter, they know that the start is 
official. Should the assistant nob drop his flag they know that 
the start is false and they mast go back. The rule of the 
American Jockey Club on the subject of starting says: "The 
starter is prohibited from making a running start; the horses 
must walk up and be started from a walk. He has authority 
to order the jockeys to draw up in a line as far behind the 
starting post as he may think proper, and any jockey disobey- 
ing the order of the starter, or takiag any unfair advantage, 
shall be punished by fine or suspension, at the discretion of 
the starter, but the suspension of a jockey shall in no case taka 
efl'ect until after the last race of the day of his suspension." 
The law requiring the start from a walk is practically a dead 
letter. To train horses and jockeys to start from a walk is an 
art yet to be acquired, or, at least, practised. 

Stayer. — A horse likely to persevere in a long or severe 
rac=>. For some years past it has been said that our thor- 
oughbreds were losing their staying qualities. "Whether such 
is the case or not, the race for the Bowie Stakes, in Baltimore, 
in 1879, proved that Glenmore and Willie D.were " stayers." 

Steeplecliase.— Originally a race run straight across the 
fields from one church to another, the horses jumping all ob- 
stacles en route. A ste jplechase in moiern days is still a jump- 
ing rase, wit'i natural and artificial obstacles, such as hedges, 
hurdle;, walls, and one or more water-jumps; nearly all the 
regular race-courses have a steeplechase course laid out in 
their inner fields, the distance varying. A hurdle-race, as dis- 
tinguished from a steeplechase, is that the former is run over 
uniform artificial barriers on a race-coursa, while the latter 
should ba run upon ground preserving its natural inequali- 
ties of surface and possessing the varieties of ploughed field, 
meadow, etc. 

Stewards. — ;See judge.) 

Stretcli —The straight or nearly straight sides of a course, 
as distinguished from the curves or bends. The "backstretch" 
on oval courses is that portion lying between the quarter and 
half-mile poles. The " hom ^stretch " that portion between 
th? thre?- quarter pole and the judges' stand. 

l^toiitiiess.— Endurance. 

SiiJk..— Torun unkindly, or for a horse to refuse to do as 
well as it can. 

Sunday Horse.— A horse generally untrustworthy, but 
capable of running a gooi race now and then,is called a"Sunday 
horse," vide Spirit of the Times: "We have always regarded him 
as a Sunday horse, capable of doing a brilliant thing occasion- 
ally, but a most irregular and unreliable performer." 

S-weepstalce. — A sweepstake, or stake-race, as distin- 
guished from a purse or plate, is one where each of three or 
more subscribers puts in, or engages to pay, a certain sum for 



Edchig Terms and Sknvj. 23 



€acli horse that he enters, the winner taking all the money — 
sweeping the stakes. It is customary for the association over 
whose course the race is run to add a sum of money to the 
amount obtained by the individual subscriptions, and for a 
small portion of the total to be given to the second horse, or 
second and third horses. Nearly all the associations run im- 
portant stake-races, such as the Kentucky Derby, at Louisville, 
the Jersey St. Leger at Monmouth Park, or the Saratoga Cup 
at Saratoga. 

Swerve. — A horse is said to " swerve " when it ceases to 
run perfectly straight. Some'imes horses will " swerve " in 
their efforts to escape punishment ; oftentimes from fatigue 
at the finish of a hard race, especially if another horse is run- 
ning close alongside. Swerving is often looked upon as a sign 
of weakness. 

Tailed, or Tailed Off.— Ahorss left so far behind that 
his rider stops him, or, continuing, makes no effort for the 
race. 

Talce.— To " take " the field, is to bet one's money on all 
the other starters against the favorite or any selected horse. 

Thoroughbred.— The definition of the thoroughbred, ac- 
cording to Stonehenge, is not quite so simple as is generally sup- 
posed, for though the thoroughbred horse is said to be of pure 
Eastern blood, this is not reall}^ the case when traced back to 
the earliest times of which we have any account. In the pedi- 
gree of Eclipse the breed of nearly a dozen laares U unknown, 
and the sam3 amount of impure blood, or nearly so, will be 
found in every horse of his date (1764), that is to say if they are 
•as far removed from the primary roots of all our best stock. 
Hence, this definition, will not suflce, since it is clearly not ap- 
plicabl3 to a horse whose blood runs in alraost every breed of 
the present day, and not only to him, but to others as well. 
The only criterion, therefore, which will hold good as a defini- 
tion, is appearance in the " Stud Book," where every horse 
or mare considered thoroughbred is registered, and by com- 
mon consent this is accepted as the test of pure breeding. All 
horses, therefore, which are the produce of mares therein de- 
scribed and by horses also to be found m its pages are called 
thoroughbred, and all others are commonly designated as half- 
1>red, whether composed of half pure blood or three-quarters or 
seven-eighths, or any other proportion. Many of our half-bred 
stallions are very nearly pure, but nothing can now wash out 
the stain which formerly was considered easily eradicated by a 
few crosses of Eastern blood. 

S. D. Bruce, in his prefacefto the "American Stud Book," says: 
"Without wishing to take rhe responsib lity of fixing a stand- 
ard for the blood stock of the Uaited States, the general custom 
has been followed of calling those thoroughbreds that have an 
Tincontamiaated pedigree for five generations. Some of our 
most distinguished families on the American turf cannot be 
traced thus far and they have been embodied in this work, 
their claims being recognized by every one familiar with the 
subject, and their exclusion would have wrought manifest in- 
justice." 



24 Dictionary or Glossary. 



Tiirow.— To forego ■winning a race tliat might be won. 
(See pull, &c.) 
Tie. — ^A dead-heat. 

Timing.— The timing of races is so prominently an Ameri- 
can institution that the value of many horses is based on that 
test. Consequently every effort is taken to get it correct. The 
"timing" stand is directly opposite the winning-post, and 
generally occupied by two or more "timers," gentlemen es- 
pecially selected for their skill.in handling watches made for 
the purpose of timing races, with second and fractional second 
hands that can be started and stopped instantly. In fractional 
races and races for which the start is made away from the 
•' timing" stands flags are used to show the instant the horsa 
or horses pass the post, being dropped by assistants skilled in 
the business. 

Tip. — Advice or information (respecting anything of course,, 
but mostly used in reference to horse-racing), by which the per- 
son " tipped " is supposed to receive information how to bet to 
the best advantage. The " straight tip " is information which 
comes direct from the owner or trainer of a horse. 

To Rule. — Everything done on a race-track during the 
progress of a race meeting is said to be done "to rule," but 
few points being left which cannot be reached by some rule, so 
effectually are the interests of all concerned taken care of. 

Touts.— Agents who collect early and generally special in- 
formation of the condition and racing capabilities of horses in 
training, and mail or telegraph the same to subscribers and 
speculators to guide their betting. The occupation is looked 
upon with considerable disfavor both in the United States and 
England, but, notwithstanding, such persons are generally 
well paid for their services. 

Trial.— A critical test of a horse's chance for any race by 
pitting him, not long before the race under similar conditions 
as to weight and distance against a horse or horses whose pow- 
er is known, or "against time." 

Trieiiiiiai.— A race or series of races on the same system 
as the "biennial " (which see), for which the same horses are 
entered to compete, as two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and four- 
year-olds. 

Twrf. — Horse-racing. " On the turf " : occupying one's 
self with race-horse business. 

Turned lioose. — Ahorse whose merits have been over- 
looked by the handicapper, and which thus receives so light 
an impost that its success to all appearance is almost certainly 
secured. 

Untried.— StaUions and mares are said to be " untried "^ 
until one of their progeny has won a race. 

"Waiting in Front.— A ruse by which clever jockeys 
rushing their horses to the front and then steadying them, in. 
duc3 less skillful competitors to believe they are making th.e 
running. 



Earing Terms and Slang. 25- 



AValk-Over.— A horse is said to " walk over " for a purse 
or stake when it has no competitor. It is customary in such a 
case to send the horse to the post, whence he is started by 
the starter as in a regular race, the horse slowly galloping over 
the distance fixed in the conditions of the race. In cases of 
"walk-overs" some of the associations only give half the 
amount of the purse offered, while in stakes the added money 
Ib also halved. In some stables, when a favorite horse gets a 
"walk-over" it is customary to let the boy who has the per- 
sonal care of the horse, if possessing any ability as a rider, 
ride the horse, as Mr. Lorillard allowed Jones to do when. 
Parole walked over for the two mile and a half purse at Sara- 
toga, in 1877. 

Wear Silk. — After a jockey has put on the complete colors 
of the stable for which he is about to ride, it is sometimes said 
that he is "wearing silk." 

Weigh out.— Not less than ten minutes before a race, all 
jockeys must present themselves to the Clerk of the course for 
the purpose of showing that they are of the exact weight de- 
manded in the race, of which fact the Clerk keeps a record, 
noting with what the weight was made. For instance, the 
horse has to carry 118 lbs., and his rider, with saddle, bridle, 
martingale, saddlecloth, surcingle and very often a heavy lead 
pad, steps on the scales, and, to a hair, weighs 118 lbs. After 
the race each jockey must return to the scales and show the 
same weight with which he started. Should it be more 
than 1 lb. less than he "weighed out" with, the horse, if a 
winner, is disqualified, and the purse or stakes must be 
awarded to the horse that was second, if its weight is right. 
Should the jockey show overweight, the clerk of the scales 
would have to report it to the judges, unless such overweight 
was caused by mud thrown on him in the race. If the excess 
was more than 2 lbs., and had been added after the jockey had 
been "weighed out," the chances are that the horse, if a win- 
ner, would be disqualified. The term applied to weighing 
after the race is " weighing in." Some clubs make an allow- 
ance of 1 lb. for a curb or double brible, but no weight is 
allowed for a snaffle bridle unless it is put in the scale before 
the horse is led away. In cases where a jockey is overweight, 
if the overplus amounts to|2 lbs., public notice must be given 
of the same, but in no case is a horse allowed to start carrying 
more than 5 lbs. of overweight. Under no consideration is 
a jockey allowed to weigh with his whip, as its loss during a 
race is frequently unavoidable, and would cause a discrepancy 
on weighing in. 

"Weight for Age.— A system of weights based upon the 
age of horses, and not upon merit and other considerations, as 
is the case with handicap weights, weights in selling races, etc. 
Allowances for sex are nearly always made, and there may be 
penalties for winners, allowances to maidens, or to hcrses of 
inferior breeding. 

AVelcher.— A person who makes a bet without the remotest 
chance of being able to pay if he loses, and, losing it, absconds. 



26 Dictionary or Glossary. 

The word is of English origin, as nearly all turf phrases are. 
One writer says the term " arose from a fellow who took de- 
posits on account of Welsh ponies, which he said he was 
importing, and never delivered them." Others say that the 
title was suggested by the repeated refusals of George IV. when 
Prince of Wales to settle his bets, while others derive it from 
the nursery rhyme — 

" Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief." 

"Welter "Weiglits. — The weights carried in a majority o^ 
steeplechases and hurdle races, and for some races on the flat 
are known as " Welter weights " — e. g.. Heavy Welter weight at 
Jerome Park and elsewhere in the East is 40 lbs. overweight 
for age; Light Welter in the West is 28 lbs. overweight for age. 

■Went "Wrong.— A horse in a stseplechase is said to "go 
wrong" when its jockey takes the wrong course — i. e., goes 
outside the flags. 

"ifoketl. — See Neck and Neck. 

"Wliippei-s in. — The last straggling horses during the 
running of a race. 

"Won toy.— A race is generally said to be won by a head, a 
]aeck, half a length, three parts of a length, or so many lengths. 
The length is estimated at about nine feet. An " open length" 
means a length of daylight, or a two-lengths' defeat. Befine- 
ments in judging, when a race is very close, are " half a head," 
or a "nose." An easy victory is described as "hollow," as be 
ing won "with hands down," or "sitting still," or with" many 
pounds in hand," or "in a walk," "in a canter," "in a gal- 
lop," or "in a hand-gallop." A horse that wins a hard-fought 
race by a trifle is " squeezed in " or " lifted in," if the result is 
due to his rider, or " lasts the longer." A horse ignominiously 
defeated is " beaten off " Such a horse frequently " walks in." 



VETERINARY TERMS. 

By J. S. Cattanach, V. S. 

Beefy .—A horse is said to be " beefy " when he is unduly 
thick or fat. 

Bog or Blood Spavin is a sac-like enlargement on the 
inside of the hock. 

Bone Spavin. — A bony growth occurring on the inside 
of the hock. 

Bowed ^eudon.— A thickening of the sheath of the 
flexor or back tendon. 

Buck Sliins. — Bony enlargement occurring on the inside 
and front of the shin-bone. 

Broke Do%vn.— To " break down " is the tearing or giving 
-way of the tendons or suspensory ligament near the fetlock, 
and frequently occurs in a race or during training, the sup- 



Racing Terms and Slang. 27 

position usually being that the horse will never be able to run 
again. For instance, Baden-Paden broke down in the race for 
the Kenner in 1877. 

Capped Ell>oAV. — An enlargement on the point of the 
elbow, caused by lying on the shoe. 

Capped Hoclc.— An enlargement on the point of the hock. 

Corn.— A bruise on the sole of the f 30t, mostly on the inside 
quarter. 

Co"w Hoclced. — Horses with their hocks closer than usual 
to each other, their legs taking a divergent direction outward, 
are said to be " cow " or " cat-hockecl. " 

Cramps. — Spasmodic contractions of muscles, and most 
frequently in the muscular coat of the intestines. 

Curb.— -An enlargement of the back part of the hock, hard 
and callous, about four or five inches from the point. 

Fistulous Witliers. — A running sore occurring on the 
withers. 

Navicular Disease is an inflammatory process affecting 
the navicular bone and perforans tendon. 

Poll Evil. — A running sore on the back part of the h'iad. 

Q,xiarter Crack. — A crack or fissure in the hoof occurrtug 
on the inside or outside quarter. 

Q,uittor.— A fisulous cr running sore occurring between 
the hair and hoof. 

Ring-Bone. — A bony growth occurring above the coronet. 

Sand or Toe Crack is a crack or fissure on the front of 
the hoof. 

Side Bones. — A hardening of the cartilages of the foot, and 
situated above the quarters. 

Splint. — A bony growth occurring on the inside of the 
shin-bone, between the knee and fetlock joint. 

Slip of Hip is the breaking of the point of the hip, caus- 
ing the muscles to fall down. 

Slip of Tliigli is a displacement of the patella or bone in 
that part. 

Spring-Halt.— A jerky or spasmodic action of one or both 
hind legs. 

T-horougli Pin. — A sac-like enlargement above the hock, 
and running under the tendon from one side to the other. 

Tliruslv.— A diseased condition of the frog, recQgnized by 
its offensive odor. 

■Windgall.— A sac-like or puffy enlargement occurring 
generally around or near the fetlock. 



28 



"American Horse Racing." 

Review of " Krik's Guide to the Turf."" 



[From the Pall Mall Gazette, London, England, April 6, 1880.] 

A dauntless chronicler might well shrink from the task of 
compiling a " Record of Races Run in the United States and 
Dominion of Canada, and by American-bred horses in England 
and British Guiana ;" but the appalling work has nevertheless 
been accomplished. That it is perfect is not to be supposed; 
indeed the compiler himself, in his record for 1879-80, remarks 
that ' 'but very few races were reported by the Canadian press 
after August 1;" and the remark is enough to show that the 
compilation is here and there based upon information which, 
not being of&cial, cannot be regarded as either complete or un- 
questionably trustworthy. Still, it is with horses that have 
run or that have been bred in the United States that circum- 
stances have lately led us to concern ourselves, and as regards 
the races run in the States or elsewhere by horses owned by 
the most iDrominent patrons of the turf in the States, the com- 
pilation is likely to be derived from sources of the highest 
authority. And those races, of couise, outnumber all the rest 
so far as to render the latter of very small account. The com • 
piler's calculations, then, may be accepted as sufllciently near 
the mark. He calculates that in 1879 the number of races, in- 
clusive of those run in England and British Gruiana, in which 
horses ''bred north of the Rio Grande" ran, as far as can be 
ascertained from re orts, was 1,330, including two which were 
afterwards declared void. It is calculated that of this number 
1,280 were won by American-bred horses, the "balance " repre- 
senting the number of races lost "abroad ;" and that of the 
1,280 wins 1,133 were accomplished by horses with known ped- 
igrees, and 147 by horses whose "breeding is reported un- 
known." Of these races, however, only 1,160 are placed in the 
category of flat racing ; and of them 1,024 are put down to the 
credit of horses with pedigrees. The total amount of money won, 
both by "flat-racers" and "jumpers," with and without known 
pedigrees, is estimated at $646,318.60, of which $31,063.13 may 
be ascribed to the performances of Parole and other American 
horses in this country. Of the flat races one was run over a 



"Ameincan Horse Racbh!."' 29 



distance of 300 yards only, and two were run at four-mile 
heats. There were, whether in heats or "dashes" (as races not 
run in heats appear to be called), 169 at half a mile and under, 
563 at five furlongs to a mile, 386 at more than a mile to two 
miles, and 42 at more than two miles to four miles The list 
of "winning sires" shows the imported English horses in 
great force. Imported Leamington stands first, with 56 "firsts' ' 
and upwards of $70,000 ; imported Glenelg second, with 71 
"firsts" and upwards of $68,000; imported Bonnie Scotland 
third, with 79 "firsts" and upwards of $47,000 ; native En- 
quirer fourth, with 51 "firsts" and upwards of $43,000; im- 
ported Australian fifth, with 22 "firsts" and upwards of $35,000; 
native War Dance sixth, with 56 ' firsts" and upwards of $23,000 ; 
native Lexington seventh, with 19 ' firsts" and upwards of 
$17,000; and imported Glen Athol eighth, with 45 "firsts ' and 
just over $17,000. Imported Saxon, who, as the sire of Mr. 
Lorillard's Geraldine, Nereid and Cherokee, deserves notice, 
stands no higher than nineteenth with three "firsts " including 
our Lavant Stakes, and less than $8,000. It should be remem- 
bered, however, that Lexington, sire of Bay Final, Brown 
Prince, and Uncas, died in 1875. Leamington, sire of Parole, 
Panpoose, and Love Chase (a winner in British Guiana), died in 
1878. Glenelg is the sire of Mirth, Susquehanna, Saratoga, 
Ultra, Jolly Sir John, and Loch Tanna, all well known in Eng- 
land, and "is now owned by Mr. M. H. Sanford, at the North 
Elkhorn Farm, Kentucky." This is as good an opportunity as 
any for noticing a story told the other day in an American 
paper about a conversation in which the Prince of Wales was 
represented to have reduced an American gentleman to blushes 
and silence by asking for the pedigree of Duke of Magenta, a 
horse which the American was extolling above Parole but could 
not give any genealogical account of. The fact is that, accord- 
ing to Bruce's American Stud Book, there is a hitch in the 
Duke of Magenta's pedigree in this way : first dam Magenta, by 
imported Yorkshire ; second dam Miriam, by imported Glencoe; 
third dam Minerva Anderson, by imported Luzborou^h; fourth 
dam by Sir Gbarles; fifth dam by Director ; sixth dam said to 
be by Duroc, but ' 'the Duroc cross is not right." The pedigree 
"should end in a quarter-horse cross by Brimmer." There 
'was no occasion, therefore, for the American gentleman to 
■"blush" when he said that he "didn't know." Of the Ameri- 
can-bred horses that distinguished themselves by their win- 
nings last year on their own ground the most prominent were 
Sensation, by imported Leamington, 2 years old. with more 
than $20,000 ; Ferida, by imported Glenelg 3 years, with more 
than $17,000 ; Monitor, by imported Glenelg, 3 years, with 
more than $16,000; Bramble, by imported Bonnie Scotland, 4 
years, with more than $14,000; Falsetto, by Enquirer, 3 years, 
with about $18,000 ; Spendthrifi, by imported Australian, 3 
years, with more than $23,000 ; and Lord Murphy, by Pat 
Malloy, 3 years, with about $11,000. Spendthrift, belonging to 
Mr. J, E Keene, won the Belmont Stakes and the Lorillard 
Stakes at Jerome Park Spring Meeting, the Jersey Derby at 
Monmouth Park (New Jersey) July Meeting, and the Champi n 
Stakes at the same place, August Meeting, the distances being 



30 "American Horse Bacing. 



respectively a mile and a half, a mile and three furlongs, a 
mile and a half, and a mile and a half. Sensation, belonging to 
Mr. G. L. Lorillard, won all the eight races for which he started, 
the distance graduating from half a mile to a mile. Falsetto, 
belonging to Mr. J. W. Hunt Reynolds, won four races out of 
five, beating Spendthrift on two occasions ; Ferida and Mo i- 
tor, both belonging to Mr. G. L. Lorillard, had to run fourteen 
or fifteen races for their money; Bramble, belonging to Dwyer 
"Brothers" (for American horses race under the style an i title 
adopte - by i rms and companies), had to run twenty for his ; 
and Lord Murphy, belonging to Darden & Co., only eight for 
his, winning five of them, including the Kentucky Derby and 
Kentucky Leger, at Louisville. As some of the races were 
run in heats, the actual running was of course considerably 
more than appears upon the face of it. As regards races at a 
mile and a half, the distance ot our Derby, it is worthy of 
remark that Lord Murphy's time for the Kentucky Derby, a 
mile and a half, is given as 2:37, and in other cases the time for 
that distance is represented as quicker on the other side of the 
Atlantic than on this— at any rate so far as our Derby is con- 
cerned; which, with our experience of American horses, may 
be taken as another proof, if any were needed, that time-tests 
are fallacious. That the name of Lorillard, which is already 
familiar among us, should be a foremost one among owners of 
race horses in the United States is no wonder; for, according 
to the evidence of the compilation here made use of, out of 
forty-five sons and daughters of Leamington alone as many as 
nine, including the chief winners, are assigned to the owneiship 
of either Mr. G. L. Lorillard or Mr. P. Lorillard, and it seems 
not unusual for a Lorillard, as in the Maryland Stakes at Jerome 
Park Spring Meeting, to run first, second, and third, or to be so 
well represented that, in the queer American parlance, there 
are "no pools sold, it being dollars to cents, on the Lorillard 
pair," where we should say "no betting." Moreover, the 
munificent sum of $2,500 added by Mr. P. Lorillard to at any 
rate one stake would tuffice to make the name conspicious. 
Mr. P. LoriUard is described as of the Kancocas Stud, New 
Jersey, where many mares imported from this country have 
been for many years trying to produce the colts and fillies 
which are to "whip the Britisher" on his own "tracks" at weight 
for age, as well as in handicaps. Among the noticeable features 
of American horse-racing is the discrepancy in the method of 
calculating the ages of racehorses: 'the rules of the South Caro- 
lina Jockey Club and of the Savannah Jockey Club fix all horses' 
ages from May 1 instead of January 1. ' There are probably 
excellent reasons- considerations of climate and customs— for 
this course; but the consequence is that "all the horses named 
as running" at certain meetings will have run "a year younger 
than they really were" according to the ordinary rule of age, 
and will have carr ed corresponding weights. Anybody who 
Avould like to examine the compilation upon which the pre- 
ceding remarks have been based may be referred to Kkik's 
Guide to the Tukf, published in New York which can be 
obtained in London at the office of the Sportsman. 



LIBRPRY OF CONGRESS 
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